BJP ministers come under fire for not announcing compensation for Uri Martyrs

Jammu, September 21: Patriotic BJP leaders have come under the scanner for merely doing lip service and not demanding adequate compensation for the families of brave hearts of Jammu region.

Two soldiers of 10 Dogra namely Havildar Ravi Paul and Subedar Karnil Singh attained martyrdom in a deadly fidayeen strike on Sunday in Uri sector. On Monday their mortal remains were cremated with full military honors. Still the state Chief Minister nor the deputy Chief Minister have come forward to announce any compensation for the next of kith and kin.

Opposition party leaders have sharpened their swords and targeting the BJP leaders who left no stone unturned to corner the previous state govts on security issues but ever since they have assumed office in alliance with PDP they have not bothered to compensate martyrs of Jammu region.

Harsh Dev Singh Chairman JKNPP and Former Minister Tuesday lambasted the BJP-PDP combine for delay in announcing the ex-gratia and compensation to the families of the said martyrs.

Condemning the highly apathetic attitude of the J&K Govt. and particularly that of BJP Ministers, Singh pointed out that Uttar Pardesh govt. had announced an ex-gratia of 20 lacs each to next of the kin of slain martyrs and Bihar Govt. had announced Rs. 5 lacs each to the family members of martyrs with similar announcements made by several other states excepting J&K.

Singh regretted that the J&K State Govt. has been dis-regarding its martyrs even in the past with no ex-gratia having been paid to the Army Jawans who sacrificed their lives for honour of the nation and its flag.

Singh pointed out that despite highest sacrifices of several warriors of the state particularly of 6 martyrs of ‘Six Dogra Regiment’ who were killed in Manipur attack last year, Naik Mool Raj of Jakh who was killed while fighting Pak Militants in Pathankot, constable Santosh Singh and constable Azad Chand who were killed in 2013 Handwara militant attack besides others, the J&K Govt. failed to even mention their supreme sacrifices. Not only that, the State govt. also failed to acknowledge their martyrdom till date with neither any posthumous award nor any ex-gratia having been paid to their family members, he lamented.

Strongly condemning the BJP-PDP Govt. for failure to recognize and honour the great sacrifices of valiant Jawans of Military and Para-military forces, Mr. Singh called for posthumous awards to such martyrs with immediate announcement of adequate ex-gratia to their families. Congress leader and MLC Jugal Kishore said, in kashmir valley the state cabinet minister pay a visit to the families of victims and often hand over compensation cheques but in case of Jammu they have been ignoring the plight of kith and kin of martyrs.